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The Accidental Detective by Michael RN Jones

Adrian Magson is the author of 22 crime and spy thrillers. His next book ‘Rocco and the Nightingale’ (The Dome Press) - the fifth in his French police series set in Picardie in the 1960s, is out now in hardback, paperback and ebook. More information www.adrianmagson.com

I stumbled on this book by chance (the first of a trilogy) and found it an amusing, light-hearted yet fast-paced and modern-day take on that other investigative duo from 22 Baker Street - Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.

The main difference is that this book features Victor Locke, a convicted computer hacker, drinker, smart-Alec and belligerent ant-hero, and his reluctant court-appointed psychologist, Doyle, who serves as the main brake on Locke's wilder excesses and is the story's narrator and careful observer. Further, they're not residents of London's Baker Street, but a similar one up in Middlesbrough.

If that wasn't enough to get my attention (I'm not sure what would be) but I'm delighted that it did. Composed of a series of episodes in the lives of this seemingly ill-matched duo, it follows their scramble around Middlesbrough on the trail of various criminals, with Locke finding inspiration - and occasionally failure - wherever they go. Aiding the police and aided by them in a casual sort of way, the writing is funny, dry, exciting and fast paced. If that pace falters, it's only so that the two crime-solving heroes can find a decent pub to sink some beers and upset the locals.

If you enjoy some fun, tongue-in-cheek writing with a strong story behind it and a pair of believable characters, I urge you to try this book. It's light, but rather than a weakness, that’s its strength, because it proves that you don’t have to write heavy, overly-serious stuff to make a good, enjoyable story.